Cuff-button



No. 750,643. PATBNTED JAN. 26, 1904.

* E. P. HAPPIGH.

CUFF BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

6? 5? Ma a.

UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CUFF-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,643, dated January 26, 1904:.

Application filed October 10, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST P. HAPPICH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cuff-Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a cuff button formed of a pair of heads, a shank formed of telescopic members connected therewith, and a catch or snap which is secured to one member and adapted to engage both of the said members, forming a simultaneous and reliable connection for the two members, allowing the employment of a powerful spring to hold said catch in operative position, while leaving the exterior member extending in an unbroken continuity from head to head excepting at the small place of occupation of said catch, said members being non-rotatable one on the other and the spring of said catch being guided by the side walls of the inner member, which it occupies, so as to be preserved against lateral bending and irregularity of motion, and other advantages are presented, as will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a cuffbutton embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the button in operative condition. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section on line a a), Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A and B designate the opposite heads of a cuff-button. C designates the shank thereof, the same being composed of the tubularsection or members D and E, which are telescopically fitted to each other, each member having one of the heads secured to the outer end thereof.

In the walls of both members D, near the outer ends thereof, are registering recesses F p F, which are simultaneously occupied by the piece G, which constitutes the head of the catch or snap and is adapted to be engaged by a thumb or finger, it being secured to the adjacent end of the spring or spring-arm H, which is located within and extends longitudinally Serial No. 176,499. (No model.)

through the member E and is secured therein by the block J, which is firmly attached to the end wall of said member, it being evident that when the piece G is depressed it will enter the member E and clear the adjacent portion of the wall of the member D, after which the members may be drawn apart or separated, thus opening the button preparatory to application to a cuff or removal therefrom, the position of parts being shown in Fig. 1. Again, the members are elliptical in cross-section, whereby they are not rotatable on each other and the piece G cannot be depressed by rotary motion of either member. Furthermore, the spring H is confined within the member E and guided by the comparatively flat side Walls thereof, whereby it is prevented from being bent laterally or moving irregularly, and so retains its shape and preserves its strength, although evidently being of light construction. The end wall to which the spring or spring-arm is secured is closed, so that no dirt can enter the member E or be scraped thereinto during the closing motions of theshank.

In order to place the button in position on a cuff, the member D is introduced into the buttonholes of the latter, after which the member E is inserted into said member D and pushed home, when the piece G springs into the recess F and acting as a catch or snap engages with the wall of said recess, thus interlocking the members of the shank as one and tightly and reliably closing the button, it being noticed that the shank extends continuously from one head to the other and presents a smooth and unbroken surface excepting at the small place of occupation of the piece G, which is immaterial and unobj ectionable in the buttonholes, it being also at the back of the shank, where it is concealed from view and but slightly protruding. Furthermore, the shank presents no open joints at its opposite ends, sothat dirt, &c., is prevented from entering the shank at said ends. Again, as the head or piece G occupies the recesses of the two tubular members a plurality of walls are presented to the side of said piece, so that as the heads A and B are subjected to outward strain or draft in opposite directions when the button is in use both tubular members are simultaneously interlocked by said piece, thus reliably preventing the separation of the members. Then the members are sustained one on the other throughout, their length, thus preventing the shank from being bent, broken, or givingway. Again, as the spring H occupies the member E it is made long, and so possesses full resiliency. whereby it exerts great pressure on the piece (Jr and reliably holds it in its operative position in its occupation of the two recesses, it being noticed that said member E is necessarily of small di ameter in cross-section; but all of the advantages stated exist in the article without complicating the construction of the same or materially rendering the same expensive.

It will be seen that the device is constructed of few and simple parts and is alike strong, durable, practical, and inexpensive in its nature.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction shown without departing from the general spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited in each case to the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A button composed of opposite heads, a shank joining said heads and formed of sections fitted to each other telescopically and having registering openings in the sides thereof, said sections being non-rotatable on each other, a spring in the inner section, and a catch-piece adapted to occupy both said openings, said spring being fixed at one end of said inner section, extending longitudinally through the latter and being confined by and guided in its movements on the side walls of its section and carrying said catch at its free end.

ERNEST P. HAPPIGH.

Witnesses: v

J OHN A. VVIEDERsHEIM, S. R. CARR. 

